Automatic car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. S. SMITH & M. H. MOT'ES.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING. No. 348,479. Patented Aug 31, 1886 ema \N'xmesees UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JOHN S. SMITH AND MAR-TIN II. MOTES, OF HAMBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,479, datedAuguot3l, 1886.

Application filed February 11, 1886. Serial No. 101,561. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Jonx S. SMITH and MARTIN H. Mo'rEs, citizens of theUnited States, residing in the town of Hamburg, county of Berks, Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in AutomaticGar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is more particularly related to the class of automaticear-couplers, yet it is adapted to couple with all varities of link,hook, or draw-bar couplers.

The object of the improvement is to secure a safe, sure, and ready meansof couplii'igcars together (without risk of life) by a peculiarconstruction of coupling-hooks and their combination with leversextended to the outside of the cars, whereby without passing between thecars t-hesame maybe coupled or uncoupled by a manipulation of the saidlevers, height of draw-bar centers above the rail not affecting theability to couple the same together.

The drawings herewith, in which similar letters of reference indicatesimilar parts, show very fully the nature of our invention.

Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, of two flat-bottom carshaving our improved hooks mounted thereon and coupled together. Fig. 2represents one end of a car having our improved hook coupled to acarprovided with the ordinary draw-head, and showing the use oftheindependent buffers. Fig. 3 represents an end view of a gondola orbox car showing a mode of coupling and uncoupling by a system of levers,chain, and link from the outside of the car. Fig. 4. represents thefront end of a flat-bottom car and the arrangement of lever and hook forcoupling and uncoupling the same, as before, from the outside of thecar; Fig. 5, an elevation of the independent buffer; Fig. 6, an enlargedelevation, part in section, of one of our improved hooks; Fig. 7, a planof the same.

A represents the sides ofthe car; A, the end timbers; A the bumpers; B,the drawbar-spring pockets; B, securing-flanges to the same; 0, thespring seats and guides; O, the spring; D, the usual draw-bar bolt; D,the head of the same; D, a nut or key to secure the bolt; E, theimprovedcoupling-hook, having a barbed head with the lower or riding barb, E,free, and the upper barb, E, boxed in by the sides of the coupling-bar,forming a pocket, E", with a rear upward-sloping base, the sides of thepocket converging toward the rear, as shown more clearly in Fi 6. Theupper face of the barb E is hollowed or grooved to act as a guide to theriding barb E as it mounts the barb E to couple.

F is a strong fiat spring secured to a block, G, beneath the car, andextending outward and resting its free end upon the upper face of thecoupling; as shown. This spring keeps the hooks,when uncoupled, presseddown upon the cross-bar H of the yoke H, which is secured to the underside of the end timbers.

I represents the ordinary draw-bar, I the head, and I? the coupling-pin.

J is an ordinary coupling-link, connecting a draw-head car with a carprovided with our improved coupler.

K represents an independent buffer, usually carried in pairs, andpreferably upon each car provided with our improved coupler, theplatform having vertical holes for the reception of the stems K and thebumpers A", and end timbers, A, horizontal holes for the same purpose,the stems K being long enough to pass through the same, and are retainedin a horizontal position by a washer, K, and nut or key K. They are onlyused when a car provided with our improved coupling-hooks is to couplewith a car provided with the ordinary draw-bar or hook, as shown in Fig.2. The buii'ers are then lifted from the platforms and placed as shown.The cars may then be coupled, hauled, or backed without any risk ofinjuring the same.

The buffers may be turned up of hard wood, in which case the head wouldbe hooped with iron; or they may be cast as a light shell of cast-iron.In either case the stems K would be a bolt of about one and a half inchdiameter.

The construction of the coupler is as follows: The hooks are all of onepattern, and may be made of steel, wrought-iron, or of tough charcoalcast-iron. The receiving-barb -E- is grooved, to act as a guide to theriding barb E. Although we give preference to the groove, the face ofthe barb may be made plain, and the barb E is re-enforccd by the sidesof a pocket, E, in the rear of the same, forming with the 'rear of thesloped base a continuous unbroken wall around the same, the hooks orcouplers being secured to the draw-bar bolts, with the pocket-faceupward. A steel spring, F, secured to a block, G, secured between thelongitudinal stringers above and between the spring-pockets, has itsfree end resting upon the upper face of the coupler, and in an uncoupledcondition the hooks are pressed down upon the cross-bar H of the yoke H.

When cars of a uniform height of draw-bar above the rails are providedwith our improved coupler, the action of the same when the ears arepushed together is to automatically couple them to each other, theriding barb E" riding up over the receiving-barb E and, dropping intothe pocket E", is retained by interlocking with the barb E but when carshaving their draw-bar centers at different heights above the rails andprovided with our ear-coupler are run together in the making up of thetrain, then it becomes necessary to provide the means of adjusting thecoupling -hooks relative to each other from the outside of the ears. Todo this we have adopted the system of levers shown in Figs. 3 and 4,adapted to all styles of cars and insuring perfect safety to thebrakeman in the act of coupling the same.

We make no claim to the levers and their connections with the hooks, asit is an old device adapted to our purpose. The mode of couplingtherewithis as follows: On approaching a stationary car, with itsdraw-bar center lying above that of the car to couple therewith, thebrakeman applies his. hand to the lever N or Q and raises the hook ofhis ear against the depressing force of the spring F,

and thus enables the riding hook or barb E to ride over and interlockwith the boxed barb E If the draw-bar center is below that of the barb Einto contact with barb E as soon as the pocket E is reached.

For the purpose of uncoupling, the levers N or Q serve a more importantpurpose, as the 5 arrangement or construction of the riding and boxedbarbs is such that they will not automatically be released from eachother; but when it is desired to uncouple, all that is necessary is forthe brakeman, as the cars come together, to depress the lever N or Qconnected with the riding hook, when it will instantly be raised out ofthe pocket, and the car will be free.

I-Iaving shown our improvement and described its use andadvantages, wedesire to secure by Letters Patent the following claims thereon:

1. In aear-eoupling, the double-barbed drawbar E, having one of itsbarbs projecting beyond the face of the draw-bar, the other barb havingits point on a plane with the upper face of the draw-bar, and having aninclined or slanting pocket, E in combination with a slidingspring-actuated bolt, said bar being bifurcated to receive the bolt, andthe flat spring bearing against the upper face of the draw-bar,substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a sliding spring-actuatedbolt, of a draw-bar 7o bifurcated at its rear end and pivoted to thebolt, said bar having double barbs, as described, the yoke H, forsupporting the drawbar, the block G, and the spring F, secured thereto,and bearing upon the draw-bar, as set forth.

JOHN S. SMITH. MARTIN H. MOTES.

Vitnesses:

J. ED. MILLER, JOHN M. SMITH.

